View full sizeAPNew England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) reacts with a game official about a play in the first quarter of a preseason NFL football game with the Detroit Lions, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, in Detroit, Mich.

So, will the starters get one more chance to tune up against a live opponent Thursday night against the New York Giants, who are coming off a Monday night loss to the Jets?

“I hope to go out there and play, and play as much as they’ll let me,“ quarterback Tom Brady said on WEEI this week. “I want to get out there and for us to really start stringing some good plays together, good drives together before the games do start counting. So, if it’s up to me, I’m playing a lot.“

Typically, the preseason finale is hardly a game worth watching unless you care about the drama involved in which fringe players will remain after the rosters are cut down to 53 men Sept. 3, but this one is packed with intrigue and it’s possible that the understudies won’t be stepping in until the second quarter.

Last year, coach Bill Belichick took an unorthodox approach by using the first units for the first two series of the final preseason game after getting dropped in the third game by the St. Louis Rams, 36-35, behind a strong performance from then-rookie quarterback Sam Bradford (15 of 22, 189 yards).

If the hooded one takes that route this week, the biggest story line, as it has been all summer, remains with the defensive line. Will Belichick finally roll out all of his parts and deploy Albert Haynesworth and Shaun Ellis on the front four? Both have been present in recent practices, suggesting they are ready to touch meaningful turf.

Against Detroit, there wasn’t much pressure to speak of as second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford sat back in the pocket and completed 12 of 14 passes for 200 yards. However, against Tampa Bay in Week 2, the defense was quite fearsome and most are eager to see what kind of progress can be made with the starters on the field and, of course, if Haynesworth has anything left to contribute.

On offense, all eyes will be on who is catching Brady’s passes. The Lions successfully siphoned New England’s aerial attack to the middle of the field and never allowed Brady to complete a pass to any of his outside receivers.

“I almost had to look back to see that it was really (Brady) back there throwing,“ wide receiver Wes Welker said of the quarterback’s performance Saturday night.

Chad Ochocinco's struggles have been well documented – he’s dropped as many passes as he’s caught – and have camouflaged the fact that Deion Branch has yet to record any stats this preseason.

Brady hasn’t been looking his way much – as the team seems to be more focused on forcing Ochocinco’s involvement – so Branch isn’t worried, but one would think that he’d like to get the ball in his hands at least once before the games count.

“As a receiver, you want the ball, but we understand and I understand what we’re doing as far as working the things that we’re trying to do, working the kinks out in our offense,“ Branch said. “Trust me, I have all the confidence in the world that Tom (Brady) will find me when he needs me.“

And most have confidence that the Patriots will be ready to go by the time they open their season Sept. 12 in Miami against the Dolphins. However, it never hurts to get some reassurance.